Lulas Fritas from Portugal

Calamari is one of my all-time favourites.  Grilled, fried, cooked Cajun-style, I'm not too bothered.  Lulas Fritas is the Portuguese version of fried calamari and I fell in love with Portuguese calamari when I was a child going to the Community Chest Carnival in Cape Town, South Africa.  They had different food stands selling delicious food from all around the world.  But it was always the Portuguese stand that I wanted to go to.  It's been many years since I was at the Community Chest Carnival and I still remember that calamari!
4 squid tubes cleaned and cut into rings
2 eggs beaten
1/3 cup flour
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 chopped garlic gloves
1 chopped green chili
juice from 1 lemon
lemon wedges for serving
oil for frying
Marinate the squid rings in the lemon juice, green chilies and chopped garlic for about 1 hour.  Overnight is also okay.  Get three small bowls ready when it is time to start the frying process.  In the first bowl mix the flour with the salt, pepper and chili powder.  In the second bowl put the lightly beaten eggs.  In the third bowl put the cup of breadcrumbs.  Get your pan with oil ready for frying.  The next step I usually do using chopsticks but you can do it with your fingers.  Take a squid ring, dip it into the flour mixture, then into the egg mixture followed by the breadcrumbs.  Put the crumbed ring into the hot oil.  Saute until golden.  It will literally cook in a minute or two.  You don't want to do them too long otherwise they get tougher than your mother-in-law's old army boots.  You can cook the crumbed rings in batches.  When done remove them from the hot oil with a slotted spoon and put them on some kitchen towel so they can drain.  Serve with lemon or lime wedges.

Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv Ukraine.  She is the author of The Colorful Art of Pain, Hush Baby and Defective.  All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format.  http://cindyvine.com